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Seven years ago, Lauren Bush Lauren founded FEED, a for-profit with a social mission –
to raise money through the sale of bags and other products to
feed children through the United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP). Today, her organization has raised funds to cover more
than 60 million meals through WFP and has provided tens of
thousands of children with essential nutrients through UNICEF.
Lauren leads a
special session at SXSW this year on the power of social
business and Entrepreneur.comtalked with the
model, activist and CEO about her goals for FEED and how she
defines success.

Entrepreneur:How has FEED has
changed its approach to social entrepreneurship since its
founding in 2007?Lauren: We have stayed true to our mission to
‘create good products that help FEED the world’. Our approach has
evolved over time from focusing on partnerships to focusing more
on growing our core product offering through our online sales
channels. And, at SXSW this week, we will announce a new consumer
engagement program, which will further enhance our giving
capabilities and overall brand growth.

Entrepreneur:How important is
it for social entrepreneurs to learn how to balance business
needs and social needs? Lauren: Being a social entrepreneur is a
balancing act between growing and sustaining a business, while
also growing the company’s ability to give back. Personally, I
find myself some days more focused on the design, sales,
partnerships and marketing, while other days are focused on the
cause aspect of what we do. But, in the end, one has to learn to
be focused on both fronts since both are essential to what you
are building.

Entrepreneur:How do you work
toward that balance? Lauren: The business aspect and the social
aspect of FEED go hand in hand. The more we can strengthen our
business, the more we are able to give. And the more we can focus
on giving back, the more customers will want to buy our products,
thus strengthening our business.

Entrepreneur:What's been the
biggest challenge to that balance and how have you worked to
overcome it? Lauren: The reason I started FEED was to create
a conduit for others to become aware and donate to help feed
people in need around the world. Thus, our main reason for
existing as a company is the ‘do-good’ part of what we do. What
regular businesses might see as a ‘balancing’ act between doing
good and doing business, it is one in the same for FEED. By
staying focused on the initial intention behind FEED, we have
grown an authentic and transparent brand that has already given
over 75 million meals globally to date.

Entrepreneur:If you were going
to advise a new social entrepreneurship venture on how to stay
focused, what would you say? Lauren: Having a solid mission, which not only
is owned by the founder, but wholly believed in by every single
member of the team is key. And it is good to be reminded of the
mission by getting into the field as a team. By volunteering and
engaging with the beneficiaries you aim to support.

Entrepreneur: It seems
more and more established companies are taking the lead from
emerging social entrepreneurs. How do you expect this trend to
take shape in five, even 10 years? Lauren: Throughout the past five years,
millennials have been leading the way by supporting companies
that are authentically associated with a cause. According to a
Pew study, 93 percent of millennials will buy a product because
of a cause association. And as millennial spending power
increases in the coming years, we will see more and more
businesses incorporating a social mission into their existing
business and new start-ups starting with a social mission.

Entrepreneur:How do you
measure success as a social entrepreneur?Lauren: True success for FEED would be the day
we close our doors because world hunger is no more. Until that
day, we measure our success through the number of products we are
able to sell on our website and through stores which translates
into the number of meals we are able to donate.